Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-05-06


to one who like myself is only five o.
six removes from a tetotaler, was ex
tremeIy humiliating, and my views
as to the sixpence underwent consid-
erabls modification.
Conductor, ] said, "you art
wrong quite wong. l assure yor
| have only taken"- But here
paused. A delicate mind naturally
hesitates to explain these little per
sonal details, however innocent, to al
omnibus load of total strangers. As
matter of fact | had only taker
three glasses of champagne, one OF
dry sherry and mere nothing o
cold whisky and water The man
mistook the cause Of my hesitation
"All right, sir, be said, and I felt
/ couldn't see him, but | felt that be
winked. cts the VERY dose
takes myself"
1t was useless to argue the point,
end | turned to my neighbor, who
had cooled down considerably wher
she found that there was a prospect
for a compensation for her damaged
property.
"What do you value your cap at,
madam ?" | inquired.
"Well, sir, since you're so pressin','
she replied, "the cap was four and
eleven in the Upper street only two
weeks since Then there was a rose
| put in special, thirteen pence half.
penny, aud q extry bow Of ribbing at
fifteen pence yard. and cheap at the
price Call il seven and six, and
wc'il throw the box in"
It struck me that the good lady
was disposed to make market oI
her misfortune, bat | was not in q
position to contest the matter Ac.
cordingly | opened my purse, and,
holding it close to my eyes, managed
to count out the required amount, and
handed it to her As ill-luck would
have it, at that moment the omnibus,
which had pulled up to set down a
passenger, went on again, and the
sudden movement jerked the open
purse out Of my hand and scattered
its contents on the floor of the vehicle.
| [ made an effort to pick them up
again, bat with small success, and ia
3 manner which, ! felt, tended still
further to confirm the conductor Is
mistaken impression as to my soorie-
ty. The other passengers benevo,
lently aided me to recover my scat
tered property, but with only limited
success. After settling for the dam.
aged cap, had left in my purse a
sovereign, some six or seven shillings
in silver. The three halfpence were
restored with the most conscientious
exsctness, but the silver had dwin-
died down to four shillings and a
threepenny piece, while the sover-
eign had vanished altogether.
mentioned the deficiency, and every
body began to search again still
more diligently, but without effect.
ct is an unpleasant incident" said
an elderly gentleman.
"a very unpleasant incide Mt, re-
piled On elderly lady.
Unpleasant for all OF u.s." said an
other gentleman, 'if their really was
sovereign in the purse" His in
tonation implied clearly that he enter
tained a donbt upon the matter.
cob, as to that Pm quite sure"
/ said; but the last speaker, who was
now just getting out, interrupted me:
Il really don't think, sir, if you'll
excuse me, that you are in a condi-
ton to be quite sure about any
thing"
1t was a most unfounded insinua-
tion, and | should have liked to
wither him with some scathing retort,
but | always require time to think OF
anything particularly witheriug, and
by the time | was ready with an ap-
propriate rejoinder he was several
yards off. 1t would have been hard
ly digniied to shout it after him, and
| therefore remained silent. We
rode on little farther, but it was an
uncomfortable journey. An atmos.
phere of suspicion pervaded the ON
nibus. The passengers all seemed
more or less to suspect each other,
but it was evident that they unani-
mou8ly suspected me. A little far
ther the omnibus stopped, and the
conductor put his head in:
Waterloo station! Anybody for
Waterloo station?"
Waterloo stationn' I exclaimed in
horror. "Isn'C this a Highgate
'bus?"
"Highgate!" said the conductor
"Lor', you must be farther gone than
| thought you was"
l was farther gone than | thought
| was, and in the wrong direction. |
paid the man fourpence for having
brought me three miles out OF my
way, and having cautiously descend
ed made my way (through an ankle
deep pile of swept up mud, by the
way) TO the pavement. What was
to be done now? There were no more
omnibuses, and after waiting some
two or three minutes or 50 and hall
ing two private carriages and a milk
cart, under the belief that they were
four wheeled cabs, L succeeded in ar
resting a wandering Jehu, and strug-
gled through another heap of mud to
his cab,
"No. 33, WisteriG Terrace, High
gate" said as | got in.
The man drove a few yards, and
then got down and came to the win
dow.
AKIN yer parding, guv'nor," he
said, hoarsely, "wheer was it as you
was wishin' TO be drove to?"
"Highgate, Wisteria Terrace, No
49," | said reversing the order for
greater clearness.
"All right, guv'nor, we can do it,
me an my 'orse can; but it's mortal
long way, and we amt bin 'ome to
our tea yet. | don't deceive you,
guv'ner; its worth seven and-six OF
anybOdy's money to take yer that
distance at this time o. night"
VERY well, you shall have seven-
and six" l replied wearily. But
drive on, for heavens g sake, or | shan't
get home tonight"
lie drove on, and after three quar-
ter5 of an hour or SO succeeded, by
dint of ounutioninO pacainr policanon